Money? Health? Fitness?

Sex? Happiness? Security?

 Sales? Contacts? Religion? 

 Profits? Fame? Or What?

People don’t set goals because they’re afraid of failing. You set a goal to achieve something important for yourself by a certain date, and you don’t make it, so you’re a failure, yes? No!

Why”No”? Because having a deadline or due date is only one of the factors necessary for a legitimate goal.

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If a goal you set doesn’t include all five of the following criteria, you don’t have a goal. You have a “wish!” And if you think Tinkerbell is going to deliver your wish to you on a silver platter, you’re living in fantasyland! 

1)  A goal must first be SPECIFIC. To say you want to increase sales is not specific; unit sales or sales dollars? How much of an increase? Vs. what? Use exact numbers.  

2)  A goal must be REALISTIC. Sure, anything is possible, but it’s probably not realistic to have a goal of being President of the U.S, or of climbing Mount Everest if you’re 85 years old [That’s not to say that someday . . .] any more than it would be to open a business today and expect to be a “Fortune 500” company in a year or two [Again, maybe some day . . .] or—unfortunately—to write a poem that will create world peace by breakfast time tomorrow. Be sure that your goal is something that really is possible to achieve.

3)  Then, guess what? Your goal has to be FLEXIBLE. This is where most people fall short in their goal-setting. “If I don’t make the date or the numbers I’ve set, I’m a failure.” But not if you keep your goal flexible. If you miss the target date or level of accomplishment, move the target! It’s okay! It’s allowed! It’s YOUR target. You can do anything you want with it. Setting a new deadline or changing the dimensions of what you’re aiming for is part of what being flexible is all about. A goal shouldn’t control you!    

4)  You most assuredly need a DUE DATE or DEADLINE so that you know what you’re aiming for.

5)  Put it IN WRITING . . .  NOT into a keyboard, and carry it in your wallet next to your cash. Every time you change it to keep it flexible and on target, RE-write it and replace the prior version.

In other words, “To increase fourth quarter sales by 10% over last year’s total ” is better than “To increase sales.” And if the fourth quarter looms on the horizon and it doesn’t look like 10% will be possible, adjust the goal to 9% or 8% and perhaps add the difference to next year’s first quarter goal.

SPECIFIC, REALISTIC, FLEXIBLE, DUE-DATED and IN WRITING works for personal, family, and life goals as well as for business and social change. Oh, and unless you happen on to someone else doing the exact same thing and want to share goals and goal-thinking, DO NOT SHARE YOUR GOALS. You’d be amazed how many people would try to discourage you and undermine your thinking!                  

Remember: It works if you do!

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Hal@BusinessWorks.US

Thanks for visiting. Go for your goals! God Bless You.

“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson]

Make today a GREAT day for someone!